Pressure-regulator.



Patented July 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' B. W. EVANS.

PRESSURE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1910.

' Patented July 9, 1912.

2 slums-sum z.

ERNEST W. EVANS, OF ROBINSON, IIIZJQIITQIS.

PRESSURE-REGULATOR.

fipecification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJuIyQ, 1912.

Application filed April 7,1910. Serial No. 553,998.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ERNEST W. EVANS,

citizen of the United States, residing at Rob inson, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Pressure-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

The invention comprehends an automatic fluid pressure regulator wherein the fluid is fed to the outlet pipe under a predetermined pressure and proportionate to the amount of fluid expended. I

The invention further contemplates the provision of a regulator which automatically locks the valve in a closed position when the fluid pressure is decreased to a predetermined point, and which must be manually operated to release the valve for further action.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in.

the latch employed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view through a slightly modified form of the regulator.

Corresponding and like parts are referred 1 to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a cylinder which is of any adaptable length and which is provided at its upper end with a cap 11 engaged in threaded relation thereover. A cap 12 is disposed in threaded relation upon the lower end of the cylinder 10 and adapted to close'the same. The cylinder 10 is provided with a web 13 of disk formation which is rigidly mounted within the cylinder adjacent its lower end and rigidly secured in such position. The Web 13 is centrally apertured and provided with oppositely beveled faces 14 and 15 to form valve-seats against which are engaged the low pressure valve 16 and the high pressure valve 17. The valve 17 is of conical form to seat against the under side of the web 13 and is carried upon the upper end of the stem 18. A socket 19, which is in the form of a plate having a boss or protuberance centrally formed thereon, and which is centrally apertured,is secured against the inner face of the lower cap 12 to receive the lower extremity of the stem 18. The stem 18 is slidably engaged through the socket 19 and carries a headed stud 20 to receive the upper extremity of a helical spring 21 which is disposed through the socket 19. A depending boss 22 is formed centrally upon the lower cap 12 in registration with the socket 19 and carries in threaded relation in its lower end a ring 23 through which is passed a thumb-screw 24. The thumb-screw 24 is arranged in threaded relation through the ring 23 and is provided with a flanged portion or head 25 to receive the lower end of the spring 21. The high-pressure valve 17 is provided with a threaded aperture in its upper end to receive a correspondingly threaded projection 26 formed upon the lower extremity of the low pressure valve 16 in order to secure the valves 16 and 17 to one another. Owing to the conical formation of the valves 16 and 17 the reduced ends of the same are spaced inwardly from the margin of the aperture through the web 13. This arrangement admits of the passage of a fluid through the web 13 when the valves 16 and 17 are spaced from their respective seats 15 and 14. The reduced portions of the valves 16 and 17 are of such lengths as to admit of the seating of but one of the valves at a time, and to admit of the opening of the same simultaneously. The low pressure valve 16 carries upon its upper face and in threaded relation therewith an equalizing tube 27. The tube 27 is provided adjacent its lower end with a transverse channel 28 to communicate the opposite sides of the tube with a bore 29 formed longitudinally in the tube 27 and extending from the channel 28 to the upper end of the tube. The tube 27 is provided with an annular shoulder .30 which is spaced upwardly from the transverse channel 28 and which supports the lower section 31 of a piston. .The lower section 31 .is in the form of a disk which rests against a second piston section 32 having a reduced central portion to accommodate a packing ring 33. The cylinder 10 is provided with a band 34 which is positioned in rigid relation against the inner wall of the cylinder and of a width greater than the width of the piston. The piston is adapted for slight reciprocation against the inner 25 F T seat 38.

face of the band, the band being employed to insure asealed partition between the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 10. A clamping nut 34 is arranged in threaded relation upon-the upper end of the equalizing tube 27 for securmg the sections 31 and 32 against the opposite sides of the packing ring 33.

The upper extremity of the tube 27 carrise a flanged disk 35 which is provided with a drum 36 disposed in threaded relation against the flange of the disk 35, and which, in turn, supports an upper flanged disk 37 in a like manner. The drum 36 in conjunction'with the disks 35 and 37 forms a' valve chamber communicating with the upper end of the equalizing tube 27.. v The. disk 37 is centrally apertured and is beveled at its under face to form a valve-seat 38 against which a correspondingly formed 41 rests upon the upper end of the tu and normally holds the valve 39-against the The valve 39 is reduced at its upper end to loosely pass through the disk 37 and extends upwardly beyond the disk to support a vent-valve 42 which tapers upwardly to-engage against a correspondingly formedvalve-seat 43 upon the lower end of the vent 44. The vent is-in the formation of a short length of pipe which is threaded centrally" through the upper cap 11. A

normally hold the tube 27 and the piston main spring 45 is interposed between theunder face of the cap 11 and the disk 37 to thereon in a downward position to seat the low pressure valve 16 upon the seat 15. An

inlet pipe 46 communicates at one side of the cylinder 10 in horizontal alinement with the transverse channel 28. The inlet pipe 46 is preferably provided with a screen 47,

as is commonly employed in such devices. The lower end of the cylinder 10 is provided'at one side with an outlet pipe 48 which is disposed beneath the web 13 and is adapted to carry 0d the fluid from the inlet pipe 46 when passed through the web 13. The web 13 is provided at one side and upon its upper face with an apertured lug 49' which is located midway between the central opening through the web and its outer edge. .A sliding bolt. 50 is positioned through the lug 49 and provided upon its inner extremity with a latch 51 having an upper beveled face corresponding to the contour of the valve 16 and against which the latch 51 is engaged. The latch 51'is spaced upwardly a sli ht distance from the web 13 to accommo ate the thickness of the upper end of the valve and to admit of the passage of the latch over the upper surface thereof. The outer end of the bolt 50 passes through a stufing box 52 which is located in the side of the cylinder 10. The outer extremity of the bolt 50 carries a thumb-nut 53 by means of which the bolt 50 is qperated.- Arranged between the inner wa of the cylinder 10 and the lug 49 is a helical" spring 54 having its inner end engaged against a collar 55 which is rigidly secured upon the bolt 50. The spring 54 thus normally holds the bolt.50 in a retracted .position to yieldably retain the latch 51 against the valve 16.-

The main spring 45 rests against the disk 37 and normally holds the equalizing tube 2 7 in a downward position-to seat the valve 16 against the shoulder 15. This position of the regulator is disclosed in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and occurs when the pressure through the inlet-pipe 46 is not suflicient to raise the piston against the tension of the spring 45. When the main spring 45 is'permitted to act in this manner, and when the valve 16 rests against the shoulder 15 of the web 13, the latch 51 engages over the upper face of the valve 16 and prevents the raising of the same. The latch 51 is disclosed in this locked position in Fig. .2, and when a fluid is passed through the pipe 46 sufiiciently to raise the piston under normal conditions, the fluidis checked in its pas;

sage to the outlet pipe 58 by the low pressure valve 16. To set the regulator into operation it isnecessary to draw the bolt 50 outwardly torelease the latch 51 from the valve 16. The pressure from the pipe 46 'is now exerted against the under side of the piston .to raise the valve 16 and to thereby admit of the passage of the fluid downwardly through the web 13 to the outlet pipe 48. As the fluid passes into the cylinder 10 from the pipe 46 it enters the transverse channel 28 and the bore 29. The equalizing chamber within the drum 36 thus contains fluid under, pressure equal to the pressure against the under side of the piston.

Should a pressure greater than is desired be introduced into the cylinder 10 the piston would be raised to engage the highpressure valve 17 against the seat 14 and to proportionately close the opening through the web 13. As the piston is moved upwardly the vent-valve 42 is seated against the vent and holds the equalizing valve 39 from the disk 37, as the disk v3.7 is carried upwardly with the tube 27, whereby the valve 39 is unseated and admits of the passage of the fluid from the equalizing chamber into the upper end of the cylinder 10. This action produces the equalization of the pressures against the opposite sides of the piston, and the main spring 45 is permitted to move the tube 27 downwardly until the equalizing valve 39 is-again closed. As the tube 27-is' moved downwardly, the vent-valve 42 is unseated and the fluid under pressure in the upper end of the cylinder 10 is permitted to escape through the vent 44.

It is thus observed thatfluid under varying pressure entering the pipe 46 is passed through the outlet pipe 48 at practically a constant pressure. Should the fluid fail to enter the cylinder through the pipe 46 the spring 45 would immediately close the valve 16 and admit of the operation of the latch 51 to secure the valve in such closed position. The spring 21 is employed for regu lating the tension of the spring 45, so as to close the valve 16 when the pressure of the fluid against the under side of the piston is decreased to a predetermined point. A

The modification disclosed in Fig. l of the drawings shows a device which differs slightly from the preferred form in order to peculiarly adapt the regulator as a water or steam pressure regulator.

It will be seen that in the construction of the modified form, the cylinder 56 is inverted and is provided at one side and adjacent the central portion thereof with the inlet pipe 57. The outlet pipe 58 is located in the opposite side of the cylinder 56 and adjacent its upper end. A web 59 is arranged in the cylinder 56 to close the upper end of the cylinder and to regulate the passage of the fluid betweenthe. pipes 57 and 58. The web 59 is provided with a central opening having a beveled upper edge to form a seat 60 for the Valve 61 which is mounted uponthe valve-stem 62. The valve-stem 62 is suitably connected by the tube 63 to the piston 64 which is similar in construction to, and which operates in the same manner as the preferred form. The vent 65 in the modified form is positioned in the lower cap 66 and comprises a short length of pipe to admit of the outflow of water which collects within the lower end of the cylinder 56 as it is passed from the tube 63.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A fluid'pressure regulator including a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an inletpipe communicating with the cylinder beneath said piston, an equalizing tube passed through the piston, a drum carried upon the upper end of said tube, a valve arranged in the drum to admit of the equalizing of the fluid pressure against the opposite sides of the piston, and a vent-valve arranged in the upper end of the cylinder and co6pera tively connected to said drum to open the vent upon the closing of said equalizing valve.

2. A fluid pressure regulator including a cylinder, a piston in the upper end of the cylinder, an inlet pipe communicating with the cylinder beneath the piston, an equalizing tube passing through the piston, a drum carried upon the upper end of the said equalizing tube, a valve in the drum to regulate the flow of fluid from the same, a vent valve connected to the valve in the drum for alternate operation therewith, a web formed in the cylinder beneath the inlet pipe and having opposed valve seats, a stem carried by the piston and having spaced and oppositely formed valves seating alternately against the sides of the web, an outlet pipe communicating with the cylinder below the web, a spring disposed in the upper end of the cylinder and engaging againstthe piston to force the same down against the inflowing fluid pressure, and a locking mechanism positioned in the cylinder for engagement with the valve to hold the same in a closed position upon the predetermined decrease of fluid pressure.

3. A fluid pressure regulator including a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, an inletpipe communicating with the cylinder beneath said piston, an equalizing tube passing through the piston, an equalizing valve arranged above the piston to effect equaliza-. tion of the fluid pressure against the opposite sides of the same, and a vent valve arranged in the upper end of the cylinder and operatively connected to the equalizing valve whereby the vent will be opened upon the closing of said equalizing valve.

4. In a pressure regulator, a casing having a partition formed with a valve seat, a pressure-supported valve arranged within the casing for cooperation with the seat, and when non-supported to rest upon the seat and close communication between the ends ofthe easing at opposite sides of the partition, an inlet for the casing above the partition, an outlet for the casing below the partition, a plug fitted in the wall of the casing immediately above the partition, a stem slidably fitted through the plug, an apert-ured lug upon the partition through which the stem is also slida-bly fitted, a head carried at the inner end of the stem arranged to engage with the valve when the same is lowered and thereby hold the valve against upward movement to open position, a spring upon the stem bearing against the plug and against the lug and normally holding the said head in position for such engagement with the valve, the outer end of the stem projecting beyond the plug. and a finger-knob upon the last mentioned end of the stem.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST W. EVANS. [1 s.]

Witnesses:

JOHN C. MAXWELL, S'roY J. MAXWELL. 

